Twisted‘s Avan Jogia has landed a role in Michael opposite James Franco for director Justin Kelly and executive producer Gus Van Sant. Franco stars as a gay activist who, after enduring years of taunts and struggle, becomes an anti-gay Christian pastor. Jogia will play Nico, a young man Michael (Franco) meets and falls for along his journey. Earlier this week ABC Family cancelled the teen drama series Twisted, which starred Jogia as a troubled high schooler who returns to his hometown amid suspicion after killing his aunt as a child. The 22-year-old Canadian thesp who earned a following on Nickelodeon’s Victorious was recently chosen to lead Spike’s upcoming event series Tut playing the young King Tutankhamun opposite Ben Kingsley. He’s been booking more indie feature fare of late including Ten Thousand Saints with Hailee Steinfeld and Shangri-La Suite with Emily Browning, Ashley Greene, and Luke Grimes. Jogia recently wrapped filming on teen comedy The Outskirts with Ashley Rickards, Eden Sher, and former Nickelodeon co-star Victoria Justice. He’s repped by ICM Partners, LINK and Tyman Stewart at Characters.

Oliver Platt (FX’s Fargo) has snagged a role in The Ticket opposite Downton Abbey‘s Dan Stevens, Malin Akerman and Kerry Bishé. Ido Fluk and Sharon Mashihi wrote the script and Fluk is directing the film, now underway in upstate New York. Stevens stars as James, a blind man who regains his sight only to be blinded by his obsession with the superficial. Platt will play his blind best friend and colleague Bob, who finds their relationship strained when James’ vision returns. Lawrence Inglee is producing along with Oren Moverman for Inglee’s Blackbird Films banner. Also producing are Rush River’s Bill Walton and Matt Malek. Exec producers are Cave Films’ Dale Brown, Initiate’s Nick Byasse, and Liberty Liquid Films’ Katie Heidy. Financing came together via Rush River, Initiate Productions and Cave Films. WME is repping domestic rights while foreign sales are being handled by Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel at The Solution. Platt next appears in Merry Friggin’ Christmas with the late Robin Williams, Mortdecai with Johnny Depp, Focus Features’ Kill The Messenger, and Warren Beatty’s upcoming untitled project. He is repped by WME.

Universal’s N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton has added Carra Patterson (Why Did I Get Married Too?) to its line up of historic hip hop figures. She’ll play Tomica Woods, the girlfriend to group co-founder Eazy-E AKA Eric Wright (Jason Mitchell). Woods went on to marry Eazy-E on the eve of his death at the age of 31 and then inherited the Ruthless Records rap label he’d founded with manager Jerry Heller. Tomica Woods-Wright is also a producer on Straight Outta Compton alongside Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Matt Alvarez. Pic is currently filming in LA under director F. Gary Gray. Patterson is repped by Innovative Artists and Robyn Bluestone Management.